Humulus Lupulus

Humulus lupulus L. more commonly known as hop. Inhabits mainly the temperate belt of the northern hemisphere. In Catalan Countries grows spontaneously in the northern half of Catalonia. It is tipical of hedgerows, woodlans and rainforests. Are lianoides herbs, perennials with annual stems, the rhizome is the part that survives. Dioecious plant about 6 meters tall with twining stems and rough to the touch unguiculate contain rigid hairs. The leaves of about 17.5 x 18.5 cm, are generally opposite, petiolate and widely cordate at the base. Palmatilobed are shaped like, with 3 or 5-lobed and toothed with subsection apex is obtuse and mucronate teeth. At the base presents two stipules membranous, lanceolate bifid. Flowers unisexual actinomorphic and pentamer meeting in inflorescences that bloom from June to September. The male flowers are yellow-green, arranged in branched panicles in the axils of the leaves, bracts are membranous and consist of 5 parts which protect the stamens. Each female flower in the axil of a bract and also have gathered in small inflorescences or solitary cymes. They have the welded around the gynoecium perigonium, forming an ovary with two styles feathery bicarpelar. These constitute the strobiles inflorescences, ovate and covers are arranged such that give rise bracts about infructescenses soft. The fruit is small globulous achene more or less sessile perianth coated by which is provided numerous aromatic substances glands that secrete. The plant drug is constituted by the cones or female strobiles, which are collected in autumn and dried with dry heat. Resinous glands that line the female the inflorescences bracts form another plant drug called lupulin, the majority principle this is the lupulone. Among its principles also highlight the xanthohumol and humulone and numerous vitamins, amino acids and minerals. It is used as a sedative in states of restlessness, tension, excitability and insomnia of nervous origin. Also used as a digestive and appetite stimulant eupeptic. Well as in other pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. Has typically been used in the manufacture of beer, as a flavoring agent, preservative, stabilizer and bitter principle of this drink.